(CNN) – Former Rep. Allen West, who lost his seat in November, compared the end of President Obama's term in January 2017 to perilous points in history that Americans had to endure and overcome.

"When British tyranny besieged our colonies, we survived. When flames danced from the White House windows in 1812, we endured. When the union split itself into two almost perishing from this earth, we rebuilt," he said Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Take a political party trying to find its way, add thousands of conservative leaders and activists gathered from across the country, mix in the first real cattle call in next race for the White House, and controversies over who is allowed to speak and you get CPAC 2013.

The Conservative Political Action Conference touts itself as the largest and oldest annual gathering of conservatives. The three-day event is considered a good gauge of the mood of the conservative movement, but it's also increasingly criticized as more political carnival than conference.

Washington (CNN) – She's come under criticism from a couple of conservative groups, but Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia will be speaking at a major conservative conference later this week.

The American Conservative Union announced Tuesday that Capito, who's running next year for her state's open U.S. Senate seat, will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The event, known as CPAC, is one of the oldest and largest yearly gatherings of conservative leaders and activists from across the country.FULL POST

(CNN) – Business and reality show star Donald Trump will speak at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, according to press release from the event's organizer that was distributed by Trump's spokesman Tuesday.

In the release, the American Conservative Union's president Al Cardenas called Trump "an American patriot and success story with a massive following among small government conservatives."FULL POST

(CNN) - Gov. Chris Christie, the outspoken Republican from New Jersey, says he isn't offended that an invite to the Conservative Political Action Conference was not offered to him this year.

"Listen, I wish then all the best. They're going to have their conference, they're going to have a bunch of people speaking there. That's their call," he said at one of his town hall meetings in Montville, New Jersey on Wednesday, according to the Star-Ledger newspaper.FULL POST

(CNN) – Dr. Benjamin Carson, who made headlines for making political statements during his keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast, will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

"Dr. Ben Carson represents the optimism and hope of the future of the conservative movement, while at the same time he articulates the deep fiscal and social challenges that our nation faces," said Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union, the group that sponsors the annual gathering.FULL POST

(CNN) - It’s considered a key speaking engagement for any Republican considering a bid for president, but one potential 2016 candidate didn’t get an invitation to this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference.

Someone close to CPAC said Monday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasn’t asked to attend by organizers of the event, which will take place in mid-March at a resort outside Washington. Officially, CPAC says they’re finalizing this year’s schedule.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Mitt Romney is returning to the political spotlight.

Two Republican sources confirm to CNN that the 2012 GOP presidential nominee will speak next month at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The event, known as CPAC, is one of the oldest and largest annual gatherings of conservative leaders and activists from across the country.FULL POST